This invention relates to torsion-bar suspension systems for wheeled vehicles, and more particularly to a suspension height adjusting mechanism for use in a torsion-bar suspension system.
A torsion-bar suspension system of the type having a suspension height adjusting mechanism is well known in the art. This type of torsion-bar suspension system generally includes a transverse torque tube rotatably connected at its ends to the body of a vehicle, a longitudinally extending suspension arm secured at its end to the torque tube and rotatably carrying at its other end a road wheel of the vehicle, and a torsion bar disposed within the torque tube and having one end connected to the torque tube and the other end connected by way of a suspension height adjusting mechanism to a bracket secured to the vehicle body.
Such known suspension height adjusting mechanism is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings of this application. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, designated by reference numeral 10 is a torsion bar having one end splined or attached by means of serrations to the bore of an anchor sleeve 12 which is rotatably received within the bore of a sleeve 14. The sleeve 14 is fixedly connected to a frame member 16 of a vehicle body. One end of an anchor sleeve 12, protruding from the sleeve 14, is secured to an anchor arm 18 which is in turn connected to a bracket 20 secured to the frame member 16 by way of an adjusting bolt 22, an adjusting nut 24, a lock nut 26 and bushings 28 and 30. With these arrangements, the adjustment of the suspension height is made by turning the adjusting nut 24 so that the anchor arm 18 swings into a different angular lock position.
This prior art suspension height adjusting mechanism encounters drawbacks that it is complex in structure, furthermore it requires under the vehicle body much space for arrangements of the anchor arm 18, the adjusting bolt 22, the bracket 20 and so on, that is, the prior art mechanism is bulky, and still furthermore it requires under the vehicle body further space for allowing the adjusting operation of turning the nuts 24 and 26.